Fisher: Revolutions, Jordan, and Me

I have been incredibly privileged to have a front-row seat observing what has been referred to as the ongoing ‘Arab Unrest.’ I’m spending a year in Amman, Jordan, serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. As such, I have been able to hear Jordanians’ opinions on successive revolutionary and reformist movements throughout the Arab world. I’ve witnessed several demonstrations, and I’ve followed closely as Jordan navigates its own peaceful path of reform.

Having studied and worked here for six months in 2009, I quickly noticed a shift in Jordan’s political atmosphere when I arrived in September. For one thing, parliamentary elections were impending on November 9th, so talk of the political process was more widespread than I remembered before. In the run-up to the elections, what I heard most often was not why one candidate was better but why the election process itself was flawed. Ultimately, though voting rates were much higher outside the major cities, only one-third of registered voters in Amman participated in November’s elections. This in itself demonstrated a feeling of alienation and disinterest in politics-as-usual here.

Tunisia’s eruption in protests in January captured the Jordanian political imagination captured in a way that the Jordanian elections had utterly failed to do. Tech-savvy Jordanians tweeted in support of the Tunisian people, others organized vigils outside the Tunisian embassy, and all celebrated President Ben Ali’s departure. As Egypt, too, saw widespread protests, the waves of solidarity multiplied. As violence broke out in Cairo, thousands of Egyptians and foreigners fled across the Sinai and then the Red Sea to Jordan’s southern port town of Aqaba. But after the initial influx of refuge-seekers, more and more tourists to Jordan began to cancel their trips, sending negative ripples throughout an already- cash-starved economy. And I found myself stranded in Morocco, scheduled to return to Amman through Cairo after a wonderful vacation (eventually, I returned home safely via a new ticket that avoided Cairo).

Despite the negative economic impact of the Egyptian revolution, Jordanian support for the Egyptian people was unwavering. Colleagues at my school discussed at length Mubarak’s billions siphoned from the impoverished people of Egypt – which they call Um al-Dunya, Mother of the World. And when Omar Suleiman made that 15-second speech announcing Mubarak’s fall, I grabbed my jacket and headed directly to the Egyptian embassy, where thousands of Jordanians, Palestinians, and Egyptian migrant workers gathered. Egyptian and Jordanian flags were waved, sweets were passed, chants from Tahrir were repeated, and the Egypt’s national anthem was sung with gusto. It was an incredible historical moment to share. This attitude of support has continued as Libya appears to be in an all-out civil war, and as folks in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, etc., also demand human rights and political reform.

Of course, these events have also inspired reformists in Jordan. For over two months, Friday afternoons have seen peaceful demonstrators making demands for an increased political voice, and end to corruption, educational reform, etc. The calls are not for the fall of the regime but the reform of the regime. And, led by King Abdullah II and newly-appointed Prime Minister Maarouf Bakhit, the government is moving. In February, the government announced that public assemblies would no longer require a permit to be legal. Instead, organizers ought to simply notify the government of the gathering or demonstration. A judge recently deemed a temporary law illegal, potentially increasing parliament’s role in the legislative process. It seems likely that Jordan will achieve real reforms without the revolutionary martyrs of Tunisia and Egypt.

I’ve posted innumerable messages reassuring my family and friends of my safety, and I reiterate that here. Jordan is safe, and I’m proud of the peaceful approach taken both by demonstrators and security forces. I’m thrilled to be here, watching the revolutions from the heart of the Arab world, all the while assured of my safety. But the ride’s not over – and I’ll be blogging at BetsyInJordan.blogspot.com.

Mosque debate echoes in Jordan

Ramadan just ended in Amman, Jordan, where I’m setting up shop for the next 10 months as a Fulbright English teaching assistant. Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic calendar, is a time of fasting from food, liquids and smoking from sunrise to sunset. Having studied here in 2009, it’s striking how quiet the streets are, with many shops and restaurants closed until after dark. It is recommended not to eat or drink in public. Yet, Islamic tradition provides exemptions from fasting for the ill, the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, travelers, etc and non-Muslims, of course, are not required to fast.

This pragmatic approach to religion may seem surprising in a region so often portrayed as totalitarian and rife with religious extremism. Indeed, Jordan balances the tension of its official status as an Islamic state with religious freedom somewhat ambivalently. The constitutional guarantee of religious freedom contains the limitation, “unless such is inconsistent with public order or morality.” Other pertinent constitutional rights, such as freedom of speech, are guaranteed “within the limits of the law.” These guarantees may seem to be thinly veiled opportunities for coercion into Islamic habits. Yet Jordan, especially as compared with its neighbors, is a place of tranquil, albeit imperfect, coexistence.

Compare that to the firestorm in New York City, where the proposed Islamic center two blocks from ground zero raises concerns regarding the status of religious freedom in the United States. A majority of Americans in a number of recent polls oppose the building of this complex. Nevermind that this property was a mosque before Sept. 11, 2001, and was itself damaged in the attacks. Nevermind that the structure will contain a memorial to the victims of 9/11 and be used as a center to spread an Islamic message of peace. Never mind that the same distance, two blocks from ground zero, also contains a strip club and several fast food restaurants and that the building directly above ground zero will contain an underground mall. So much for hallowed ground.

Arguments by many who want to appear moderate, who say they have nothing against mosques or Muslims, claim that this ground is “sensitive.” This puts the blame on moderate Muslims for the ignorance of Americans. It demonstrates that Americans have not learned since 9/11 that terrorists do not speak for Muslims, and that Americans are incapable of separating terrorists even from those who actively work for cultural understanding.

Such a message can only impair American-Islamic relations and provide fodder for extremist organizations. The clear message sent to Muslims, in the United States and abroad, is that while the U.S. guarantees equal protection of all rights, including religion and property usage, this protection does not extend in practice to the American Muslim minority, no matter how peaceful or pluralist.

In Toledo, this controversy appears to be a domestic one, and so far from New York, somewhat abstract. Yet, for this Toledoan living abroad, the United States’ handling of these issues affects how I am received on a daily basis. This is not to say that I am the target of hostility. Jordanians almost universally welcome foreigners, delighted in their interest in the Arab world and in the influx of cash that they bring. The way I am received here, free to worship in a church, is clearly a warmer welcome than many Americans have chosen to extend to their Muslim neighbors.

But my reception here will always be punctuated with inquiries about my opinion on American policy in the Middle East. Because of events like the “ground zero mosque” controversy, I have more to overcome to prove to my friends and colleagues that Americans are capable of understanding the Islamic faith and appreciating those who claim it. The more true to our professed American values we can be, the more our negative image will fade. And the more likely it will be that our guaranteed religious rights can be freely extended to all within our borders.

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on Thursday, September 16th, 2010 at 3:16 pm and is filed under An American in Amman, Opinion, Uncategorized.
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